Harry Nilsson Wakes Up Natasha Lyonne On “Russian Doll!”
One of the best new shows on TV is “Russian Doll” on Netflix, starring Natasha Lyonne – and one reason I love it so much is that it uses a song from one of my favorite Musical Artists of all time!
One of the best parts of “Russian Doll” is the theme song: Harry Nilsson’s terrific “Gotta Get Up”…which is used every time Natasha starts the exact same day over again, “Groundhog Day” style…that’s the plot of the show, as she begins every day again trying to figure out why!
When you see Natasha in this bathroom shot, with the distinctive piano chord from Harry Nilsson’s “Gotta Get Up”, you’d know that she is starting her journey over again…trust me it’s a greet show – and a terrific song!
To get your toes tapping, here is Harry Nilsson’s live performance of “Gotta Get Up” from 1971 on the BBC:
Time To Celebrate Harry Nilsson!
Harry Nilsson is one of our greatest Singer/Songwriters, and this song is reminding people all over again! “Gotta Get Up” is from his brilliant 1971 album “Nilsson Schmilsson”, which was nominated for the Album Of The Year Grammy, and Nilsson won the “Best Male Pop Vocal” Grammy for the smash hit “Without You.”
“Lime In The Coconut!”
The album was Nilsson’s biggest ever, and included two other massive hits: “Jump into the Fire” and “Coconut” – yes, Harry wrote the classic pop song with the infectious line:
“put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up…”
There is also a way to hear more of his great music and celebrate his career:
This terrific documentary tells Harry Nilsson’s entire story, and you will be impressed with all of the incredible songs he wrote – and he was also good friends with all of the Beatles, including John Lennon on his infamous “lost weekend”:
You can see more about Nilsson, his credits, and the wacky music video for “Coconut” by clicking on my story here:
Harry Nilsson (1941 – 1994) at the piano, 1972. (Photo by Stan Meagher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Sadly, Harry Nilsson died in 1994, but his son keeps his spirit alive with great social media stories and pictures from his life…and “Gotta Get Up” is just another way for all of us to say, “bravo, Harry!”
Also, make sure to check out “Russian Doll”!